The Hindu 22.04.2010
Fine for vehicles parked in ‘no parking zones'
Staff Reporter
— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen
Penalty:Vehicles parked in the ‘no parking zone' of new bus stand at Veinthankulam in Palayamkottai.
TIRUNELVELI: Vehicles being parked at the ‘No Parking Zones' of the new bus-stand at Vaeinthaankulam will be hereafter fined up to Rs. 100 as the corporation has planned to enforce this new regulation in the next few days.
Through the vehicle parking bay at Vaeinthaankulam bus-stand, the civic body earned a whopping sum of Rs. 1.24 crore since 2003 by awarding contract to private parties. Sensing the immense average annual revenue potential of Rs. 17 lakh, the corporation decided to take over the administration of the parking bay instead of leasing it out to private contractors.
As long as this parking bay was under the control of private contractors, not a single day lapsed without quarrel between the persons parking their vehicles and the personnel manning it, as the vehicles parked there used to suffer significant damage.
When the vehicles went missing, the parking bay personnel casually asked the owners to file a complaint with the police and adamantly refused to compensate for the loss.
Moreover, the personnel collected Rs. 3 for two-wheelers for parking it under a thatched shed for the duration of 12 hours though the corporation's directive is to collect this amount for 24 hours.
Those who raised questions against this irregular practice were either threatened or even attacked.
On taking control over this parking lot, the corporation computerized the entire process. Computers were installed at the entry point for issuing tokens and the personnel noted down the registration numbers of the vehicles at the exit point so that the vehicles' security was ensured.
Moreover, the corporation is all set to install surveillance cameras at vantage points in the sheds so as to strengthen the safety measures on this enclosure.
The new and safe environment has increased the influx of vehicles and hence the corporation has planned to issue ‘smartcards' to regular parking-lot users in the next couple of weeks so that they need not wait in the queue for getting the vehicle passes and instead can park and take out their vehicles immediately on entering the bay.
To ensure the safety of every private vehicle entering the new bus-stand premises, the corporation has now decided to impose fine on the vehicles being parked in the ‘No Parking Zones' to be jointly identified by the police and the corporation.
As per the civic body's proposal, those who park the two-wheelers in the prohibited areas will have to pay a fine of Rs. 50 while the penalty for three-wheelers and four-wheelers will be Rs. 75 and Rs. 100 respectively.
Moreover, a fine of Rs. 100 will be collected from those who misplace the smartcards.
At the same time, the urban local body has decided to collect the parking fee for the duration of 24 hours, which will be calculated from the time of parking.
